1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fishing tackle, and in particular to the means for fastening and unfastening fishing line accessories, such as bobbers, sinkers, and lures, to and from a fishing line.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is customary with certain types of prior art fishing tackle to immovably secure fishing line accessories to fishing lines at predetermined positions on the fishing lines with or without threading the lines though the accessories. Once secured, the accessory cannot be quickly or easily removed without painstakingly disassembling the line, starting at the hook end and working back to the reel, or breaking the line.
Several efforts have been made in the prior art to address the problem of securing accessories to fishing lines. For instance, a prior art accessory called a slip bobber is mounted on a fishing line by threading the lead or hook end of the line through an eyelet on the bobber and securing a ferrule to the line between the bobber and the fishing pole. The bobber is therefore free to slide down the line, but is prevented by the ferrule from sliding up the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,895,255 to Irwin discloses a bobber with hard rubber serrated jaws which rigidly clamp a fishing line therebetween. These jaws are abrasive to the fishing line, and can only be separated by manual manipulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,788 to Potter discloses a means of positioning a sinker on a fishing line by providing a slot in the sinker approximately the thickness of the line. The fishing line is first threaded through an eyelet and is then wedged into the slot. The line is removable from the slot by means of a sharp jerk applied in the proper direction. If applied in the wrong direction, the line becomes more firmly wedged in the slot. No means are provided for removing the sinker from the line without disassembling the line or breaking it.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,254 to Caruso is a wooden clothes-pin type device for positioning a sinker on a fishing line. The line is threaded through an eyelet and wedged in a clothes-pin type gripping slot. Properly tensioned, the line can be removed from the slot, but, as in Potter, if the line is improperly tensioned, it will wedge more firmly in the slot. Also as in Potter, there are no means provided for removing the sinker from the line without disassembling or breaking the line.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,471 to Riead is an either/or clamping device wherein the line is either permitted to slide freely through the device or to be permanently clamped in the device at a selected position on the line, removable only by manual manipulation.
None of the above-noted prior art devices provides means for easily fastening an accessory to a fishing line, or removing it, while at the same time providing quick and reliable means for positioning the accessory on the line and quickly and reliably releasing it to freely slide on the line responsive to predetermined tensioning of the line.